Mr Picky flew to Washington D.C. for work, so Ava and I are spending this week “mother-daughter” style. We’ve already made banana muffins, hot cocoa (Guatemalan-style), and stuffed artichokes (my mother’s recipe from Italy). And there’s the coconuts. Coconut milk. Shredded coconut. Toasted coconut. We’re surrounded, thanks to our stovetop travels to the Seychelles. While we ate this particular menu before Keith left, I’m considering recreating it one more time since I still have plenty of Massalé left over, and Ava’s on a real kick with fish. At the very least, I’m going to add the spice mix to some lentils. You’ll love the fish for an impressive, but super quick weeknight dinner (just whip up the spice blend ahead of time), and the tart is a real crowd pleaser, especially when served with a traditional cup of lemongrasss tea. So join us, we’re having a spiced, whipped, and banana topped kind of week. All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Coconut Fish Curry | Cari de Poisson [Recipe] The catch of the day gently simmered in …
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This week I’m on the hunt to create a little balance in this, our freshly pressed New Year. I found exactly what I was looking for in Serbia. Our menu is equal parts comfort and nutrition, capped off with a ridiculously indulgent dessert. (Do I need to defend that choice?) In other news, I have huge, exciting, mega things going on that will affect our family (and potentially yours). I leaked a bit about it on our Facebook Page. More details as they come. For now, thank you for believing in this Adventure. From the bottom of my heart. All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Serbian-style Potato Musaka [Recipe] Home-style goodness: potatoes layered with ground pork and a creamy yogurt and egg mixture. If it were up to my husband, this would be his entire dinner. Every night. Serbian Salad [Recipe] This cucumber, tomato, pepper, and onion salad is as simple as it is refreshing. The key is to top off your veggie mountain with a snowfall of cheese, preferably feta. …
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Those of you who have read this blog before know my refrain “We create peace when we learn about each other, when we understand one another.” To be clear, learning is not the same as understanding, but to understand we must learn. And we can do this through food. And so here we are. Well, today I found a very similar saying from Senegal: “In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we are taught.” The beauty of these words is in their simplicity. To conserve is to protect. Yes, our environment. But also each other. We must find our way to love through learning, friends. This week, by learning about Senegal, we’re coming closer to love. To peace. To conserving each other and our beautiful cultures. Let’s do it. All recipes and the meal review will be posted throughout the week. Senegalese Salad [Recipe] It’s not too late to bring in the New Year right. Try this lime squeezed black-eyed peas salad tossed with …
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Saudi Arabia is all about love of family and strong relationships. That’s why this week at the Global Table is all about party food. Not crazy, New Year’s Eve party nibbles (been there, done that), but goodies that will pull family and friends together around the table (or, as the case may be, the floor mat). These bites make a festival out of even the most ordinary day (I know because we enjoyed their bright flavor in the No Man’s land between Christmas and New Year’s with my dear friend Becky and her mama). So go on, invite some friends over and create an afternoon filled with animated, laughter-filled, buoyant spirits. And when the fun is done, sit back and smile. Saudi Lamb “Pizza” | Aysh abu Laham [Recipe] A hearty round of fennel and black caraway infused flatbread, topped with lamb, green onion and a lemon garlic tahini sauce. Phew. Sounds weird. Tastes amazing. Sweet Semolina Cake with Lemon & Rosewater | Basboosa [Recipe] A sweet, incredibly moist semolina cake perfumed with lemon and rosewater, topped with almonds. …
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Ava’s never been a big fan of bananas, but when I told her we were eating mousse for dessert this week, she giggled. Loud. Like a startled bird. The holidays are in full swing; her three year-old brain clearly imagined something like this… Thankfully, moose is not an option in São Tomé and Príncipe, but mousse is. And so, without further ado, I’d like to share our menu. Each item has been selected with the holiday crazies in mind: they require few ingredients and come together in a flash. The inspiration remains firmly Santomean, as locals prefer to eat simply. The sweet potato frittata is my new go-to, the Feijoada will warm your bones, and the mousse? Well… it’s mousse. That’s all anyone really needs, besides love. Unless you also need a moose. With antlers. All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Sweet Potato Frittata [Recipe] Need a great brunch idea for the holidays? This healthy & hearty frittata (yes, that’s possible) only has four ingredients and comes together in a snap. The best part? You …
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Here’s something you might not have known: Abraham Lincoln was made an honorary citizen of San Marino in 1861. This made him happy, as he believed that San Marino demonstrated how a “government founded on republican principles is capable of being so administered as to be secure and enduring.” (Read the whole letter) What he doesn’t mention in his letter to his “Great and Good Friends” is their food, likely because he never had the opportunity to sample it. Personally I believe that any “secure and enduring country” has to have great food. Thankfully, San Marino delivers like a champ in this department. This menu is a little like cooking Italy all over again (northeast Italy, anyway)… but with a flair distinctly Sanmarinese. Each bite of this menu is comforting, rich, and perfect for the curious stovetop traveler on a wintertime journey through the rugged mountains. You’ll notice a lot of milk, from the bechamel to the pork roast, as well as typical ingredients like polenta, honey, and dried figs. Consider serving this menu with some …
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“E tuai tuai, ta te maʻona ai.” This Samoan proverb states that food which takes a long time in the oven will be satisfying. It’s the equivalent of “good things come to those who wait.” You see, much of Samoan dinners were traditionally cooked in underground ovens made with hot stones and covered with dirt and leaves. My mom said that was just about all there was in the late 70’s. Today, electricity takes much of the guesswork out of when dinner will be done but there’s still satisfaction in enjoying traditional favorites. For our menu, I went with yet another festive holiday spread. Bring that Palusami to your next holiday potluck. As for the rice and the puligi? Yes, yes. Definitely. Special thanks to Soraya, a lovely Samoan friend of Brian (longtime reader who always leaves the neat musical selections). She was kind enough to message with me about all kinds of good, traditional eats (especially the Palusami). All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Coconut Creamed “Spinach” | Palusami …
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Hi, friends. Here’s a lip-smacking collection of gifts with the stovetop traveler in mind. You’ll find everything from kids chopsticks to a boozy liquor cabinet of global proportions. All of it will help you eat the world better than ever. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! xo 1. Cookie cutter shaped like the world (I hope you’re hungry) 2. Tapas Fondue Set (Retro fun. Love the star cutouts on the candle base) 3. Tunisian Hand Painted Tagine (I own & love a version of this!) 4. Buddy Trainer Chopsticks (Set of 2 in orange and blue.. I’m getting these for Ava.) 5. Bamboo Steamer (10-inch) 6. Blue Koi Fish Teapot (Pretty, pretty) 7. Turkish Ibrik Coffee Maker (Coffee? Yes. Plus, who needs a microwave, when you can heat everything up in an Ibrik). 8. “Snow Globe” Spice Shaker Set (seriously!) 9. Ebelskiver Pan & Mix Set (something I’ve always wanted to try) 10. Fish Chopstick Rests (Set of 4) 11. Let’s Make a Date Line Bulletin Board (keep track of your global menus) 12. Ceramic Potlluck Roaster (want!) 13. Global Placecard Holders (ditto!) 14. La Chamba Comal (simply beautiful way to char …
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Sometimes I think the holidays would go a lot smoother if everyone was handed a shot of rum and a slice of cake. How could conversation not go smoothly after that? Turns out, that’s what they do in the Caribbean… with great success. Black cake is a cousin to the British Plum Pudding and is made with an expensive array of dried fruits, like cherries, raisins, and prunes and topped off with a bit of nutty crunch (almonds for me). Before baking – sometimes for months – the fruit soaks in rum and cherry brandy until it’s so plump and intoxicated, that only good things can come from it. What version of the cake ends up on your fork depends on what island your plate rests on, although most will agree that – unlike with American fruit cakes – grinding up the boozy fruit is a must. This, along with a dose of molasses and brown sugar give the cake it’s deep brown coloring (while some also like to add a local ingredient called “browning”). …
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We’ve hit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on our Adventure to eat the world. Consider this my way to sneak the holidays to you, Caribbean-style. This menu is for those days when you wish you still felt like pumpkin pie, but you’ve eaten three pies too many….and coconut pumpkin soup seems like the only logical answer. It’s for when you are ready to dive into a traditional boozy cake, but without the scary pieces of giant neon fruit that you find in the preboxed variety. In sum, this is the holidays on cruise control, island-style. P.S. Make the cake for friends. This is not your grandma’s fruit cake. Unless you’re grandma is from the islands. In which case, never mind. Caribbean Pumpkin & Coconut Cream Bisque [Recipe] Pumpkin and coconut milk combine forces with ginger, onion, and garlic with this mainstay of Caribbean cooking. Do you have an urge for heat? Add a scotch bonnet pepper. P.S. You can make this soup in less than 30 minutes, most of which you’re leaning against the counter sipping wine. …
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When Thanksgiving meal preparations take over the household, I like to do little things to make the rest of the week’s meals feel fun. With that in mind, I put together two festive, but relatively quick treats to make the ordinary extraordinary. After all, why can’t every day be Thanksgiving? The theme for both is breakfast, Saint Lucia-style. Caribbean Bakes [Recipe] If your family likes doughnuts and biscuits, these fried discs of soft, doughy goodness will certainly be a big hit. Serve them warm with sweet, fruity jam, salt fish, lunchmeat, or even sliced cheese. Cocoa Tea [Recipe] This is the traditional morning drink in Saint Lucia. Think thick, rich hot cocoa with cinnamon, and a dusting of ground nutmeg. THE GIVEAWAY Happy Day Before Thanksgiving, friends! So here’s something you never knew you wanted… ancient map leggings from Black Milk Clothing. I fell in love with these the moment I saw them. And, p.s., I instantly thought of ten people I’d like to buy them for. They’d look great with a big sweater, under …
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This week I flew from 80 degrees and sunny in Tulsa, to 35 degrees and windy in New York City. I wandered through a snowstorm in Manhattan, purchased a silk hat made in Tibet for $6, and slept 50% less than normal. I spent the week introducing myself to publishers all week: “Hello, I’m Sasha Martin. Let me tell you about a little dream of mine …” After all that excitement (I can’t wait to tell you more), it was wonderful to end the week at my dear friend, Marina’s apartment in Brooklyn and eat this incredible meal typical in Saint Kitts & Nevis. Everything about it is soothing, comforting and… well, there’s rum glazed coconut bread pudding… need I say more? P.S. That Killer Bees recipe? Marina found that one and she did an aces job. All recipes and meal review will be available by Monday morning. Peas n’ Rice [Recipe] A hearty combination of rice, pigeon peas, peppers, onion, celery and thyme. (Psst – this would be perfect with the coconut crust fish from our Nauru Global …
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